Ras Jua Baraka (9 April 1970-) was Mayor of Newark, New Jersey from 1 July 2014, succeeding Luis A. Quintana.
Biography[]
Ras Jua Baraka was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1970, the son of Amiri Baraka, and he was principal of Central High School from 2007 to 2013 after graduating from Saint Peter's University. From 2002 to 2006, he was a member of the Newark Municipal Council as a Democrat, and he served as deputy mayor from 2002 to 2005. In 2010, he was elected to the city council on a platform critical of Mayor Cory Booker, and he was elected Mayor in 2014. He improved the city's economic prospects and increased police presence in troubled neighborhoods, improving his city's state.